The use of modern communication systems through which to communicate information to effectuate communication services is a practical necessity of many aspects of modern society. Various types of communication systems have been developed and deployed, used pursuant to the effectuation of varied types of communication services. With continued technological advancements, new types of communication systems continue to be developed and deployed. The technological advancements, when implemented in a communication system, generally provide for the communication of data at increased transmission rates and at, and between, locations at, or between which, such communications had not been practically possible.
Advancements in digital communication technologies are amongst the technological advancements that have been included in many modern communication systems. Various advantages are provided when digital communication techniques are used in a communication system. For instance, the ability to provide improved communication efficiencies is possible by removing communication redundancies in the transmitted data. And, when data is digitized, the digitized data can be communicated during discrete intervals. Circuit-switched connections need not be used; instead, shared channels, such as packet-switched channels, can be defined and used upon which to communicate the data.
A radio communication system is an exemplary type of communication system. In a radio communication system, data is communicated between communication stations to effectuate a communication service upon radio channels. Radio channels are defined upon radio links that form parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Many radio communication systems use digital communication techniques pursuant to the communication of data between the communication stations of a radio communication system. The use of digital communication techniques in which communication redundancies are removed out of the data prior to its communication is particularly advantageous in a radio communication system due to the bandwidth limitations regularly associated therewith. That is to say, the bandwidth of the radio channels available upon which to communicate data is limited. And, the communication capacity of many radio communication systems are limited by the bandwidth capacity of the radio channels. The communication capacity is increased by increasing the efficiency of the manner by which the data is communicated upon the radio channels.
Various advantages are provided by radio communication systems, in contrast to their wireline counterparts. Costs associated with the initial installment and deployment of a radio communication, for instance, are generally less than the corresponding costs required to install and to deploy a counterpart wireline system. Additionally, and significantly, a radio communication system is implementable as a mobile communication system. In a mobile communication system, one or more of the communication stations is mobile, viz., permitted mobility.
A cellular communication system is a type of radio communication system, the networks of which have been installed over significant portions of the populated areas of the world. Successive generations of cellular communication systems have been developed and deployed. Many of such systems are popularly utilized, in some areas approaching, or even exceeding, the levels of usage of their wireline counterparts.
Cellular communication systems increasingly are utilized to permit high speed data services to be effectuated therethrough. Data messaging services are amongst the communication services that increasingly are effectuated through operation of a cellular communication system.
A mobile node positioned within the coverage area encompassed by a cellular communication system sends, or receives, data forming the data messages. Data messages that are to be terminated at the mobile node are sent by the network part of the communication system by way of a down-link, or forward-link, channel to the mobile node. And, data messages originated at the mobile node are transmitted upon an up-link, or reverse link, channel to the network part.
In order for the data messages to be communicated successfully, the messages must be routed through the network to their destination, i.e., the mobile node or another communication station. Due to the mobility inherent of the mobile node, the routing of data messages are dependent upon the location of the mobile node when the data message is to be communicated. Appropriate routing information is required, e.g., at the mobile node to identify the route by which a data message originated thereat is to be communicated. The routing information needed to be used differs, depending upon with what portion of the network of the cellular communication system that the mobile node communicates. When the mobile node roams beyond the area encompassed by its home network, e.g., the mobile node must communicate by way of a non-home network. In order for the mobile node to be permitted to communicate by way of the non-home network, the operators of the respective networks must have in place arrangements that provide for access to the mobile node to communicate by way of the non-home network. Agreements between the operators to permit such communication are sometimes referred to as being roaming agreements. In areas that are encompassed by more than one cellular communication system, a roaming agreement might be in place between the operator of the home network of the mobile node and one, but not another, of the non-home networks. In order to send the data message, the message must be communicated by way of the non-home network whose operator maintains a roaming, or other appropriate agreement, with an operator of the home network of the mobile node. Tunneled, or non-tunneled, communication paths are used, depending upon the structures of the networks through which the data message is to be routed as well as the agreements between the operators of the networks.
In short, routing information that is required to communicate a data message is dependent upon the location of the mobile node when the data message is communicated. Providing the mobile node with routing information, albeit necessary to permit the communication of data message therefrom, conventionally requires mobile-node registration and re-registration to ensure that the routing information is current and accurate. This conventional need to perform multiple registrations is sometimes unwieldy.
If a manner could be provided by which better to determine and provide to the mobile node routing information to be used by the mobile node to route data pursuant to a data communication service when the mobile node is positioned at any location encompassed by a radio communication system, improved communication operations would result.
It is in light of this background information related to communication of data in a radio communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.